Linguocognitive and linguocultural features of figurative toponyms in Uzbek and English

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the lexical-semantic, cognitive, and axiological characteristics of figurative toponyms in the Uzbek and English languages. Particular attention is paid to the principal components shaping the semantic structure of place names, including colour terms, landscape features, flora and fauna, anthropogenic factors, and evaluative elements. The study examines the role of cognitive mechanisms such as metaphor and metonymy in the formation of figurative toponyms and explains their significance in the perception and conceptualization of reality and the construction of a linguistic worldview. Common features and culturally specific characteristics of the Uzbek and English toponymic systems are considered from a comparative perspective. The denotative and connotative meanings of place names, as well as their associative and axiological content, are also analysed. Based on a synthesis of existing classification approaches, the study argues for a multilayered model that integrates semantic, cognitive, linguistic, and cultural characteristics rather than relying on a single classification criterion. The findings demonstrate that figurative toponyms are significant linguistic units reflecting the interaction of language, cognition, culture, and national worldview.